Press Releases

At approximately 2:48 p.m. on Aug. 28 at Scotland Correctional Institution, two inmates suffered injuries during an inmate-on-inmate assault in a housing unit. Both inmates were transported to outside medical facilities for treatment. Their conditions are unknown at this time. 

Environmental reviews were approved today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Cumberland, Edgecombe and Wayne counties, which will allow homeowner awards to move forward on Hurricane Matthew repair projects funded by Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) in those counties.  

A combined effort from the Department of Public Safety Special Ops team (including K-9 units), county and local law enforcement aided in the capture of Gaston Correctional Center inmate Thomas Philbeck (#1211238) at approximately 5:30 a.m. Monday.

The Juvenile Jurisdiction Advisory Committee (JJAC) will meet on Friday, Aug. 24. Created as part of the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act within S.L. 2017-57, the JJAC is tasked with developing an implementation plan for raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction, monitoring implementation and as needed, providing additional recommendations to the General Assembly.

At approximately 5:46 a.m. today at Tabor Correctional Institution, an inmate was involved in an assault on one correctional employee. The employee was taken to a local medical facility for assessment and treatment of what appear to be non-life-threatening injuries and was released.

North Carolina will appeal a decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the White House not to grant a major disaster declaration for the May floods and mudslides in western North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper said Tuesday.

An eighth Hurricane Matthew Housing Recovery Application Center opens today in Bladen County to provide assistance to Hurricane Matthew survivors in the surrounding area.

A Wake County Grand Jury has returned indictments charging inmate Jaquan Lane (#1449047) in connection with the violent attack on Central Prison employee Brent Soucier. 

Following an internal investigation, a sergeant at Lanesboro Correctional Institution is facing charges tonight for allegedly attempting to bring drugs into the prison. The Polkton Police Department has charged Sgt.

NC Emergency Management today announced that Johnston County will receive $288,223 in federal and state funds through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to elevate two homes that were damaged by Hurricane Matthew’s floodwaters.

North Carolina Emergency Management has been selected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate to help deploy and test three prototype, low-cost flood sensors designed to help bring early flood detection and warning to more communities at a reasonable cost.

Inmate Matthew Howlett (#0897018) died today at Bertie Correctional Institution after an apparent suicide. He was found unresponsive in his cell at approximately 11:55 a.m. Prison medical staff and local paramedics responded and worked to resuscitate the inmate.

North Carolina Emergency Management is using text messages and social media to reach survivors whose homes were impacted by Hurricane Matthew who still have not applied for housing recovery assistance.  The text messages and social media posts will inform people how to call 2-1-1 to apply for state or federal assistance through the Rebuild NC program.

Interim Chief Deputy Secretary Reuben F. Young has named Robert Leon director of Correction Enterprises.